Rotary steam engine



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7 J. H. DOW.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

Patented June 17, 1890.

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J. H. DOW.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

(No Model.)

No. 430,568. Patented June 17,1890.

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J. H. DOW.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

No. 430,568. Patented June 1'7, 1890.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet '4. J. H. DOW.

. I ROTARY STEAM ENGINE. No. 430,568. Patented June 17, 1890.

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JOSEPH II. DOV, OF CLEVELAND, OI'IIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WVILLIAM CHISI'IOLM, SR, OF SAME PLACE.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,568, dated June 1'7, 1890.

Application filed January 25, 1890. 1 $erial No. 338,047. (No model.)

To all whon t it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH I-I. DOW, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the nvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary steam-engines; and it consists in certain features of construction and in combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Certain features of my present invention are designed as an improvement on a steambalancing device for rotary steam-engines, illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 403,335, granted to me May 14, 1889, and to which reference is hereby made.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, through the center of the engine. Fig. l is an elevation in section on line 3 3 Fig. 3; also, portions of disk 0 are broken away on line 2 .2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation, showing the inner face of adisk Odetached, and showing also the inner end of a sleeve d to show the relative position of these parts when assembled. Fig. 6 is an edge View in section on line a: 00, Fig. 5, showing more especially flange G of hub O;

A represents the body or shell of v the engine, to which are detachably secured heads B B, the latter having suitable boxes, hereinafter described, in which boxes are journaled the engine-shaft D.

The engine-shell is provided with an internal centrally-located annular flange a, the

same being faced off on either side and screwthreaded at the internal periphery to receive from opposite sides disks 0 C, the latter having hubs O, screw-threaded externally for respectively engaging the screw threads of flange a. The inner faces of hubs O are separated to form an annular steam-chamber a, the latter, by means of a hole a extending through flange a, being in open relation with induction steam-pipe c Flange a is cored laterally below, as shown in Fig. 3, to connect the two exhaust-chambers A with the exhaust-pipe A The shell of the engine terminates below in a supporting-base A Plug c closes a small hole leading to the bottom of the steanrchamber for draining the latterfor instance, when the engine is to remain idle for a time. The larger plug A closes an orifice extending into the steam-chamber opposite the shaft for purposes of adjustment. The disks 0 O on their outer faces are provided each with two or more series of curved wings or chutes 0, arranged in order concenwith a snug fit the rotating disks or Wheels E E, these wheels having long inwardly-projecting hubs E. I These wheels are further secured from turning on the sleeves by means of internal notches at theinner ends of their hubs, that receive the protruding ends of pins cl aforesaid. Nuts (P, by abutting these wheels, hold the latter rigidly in place, and also serve in forcing the wheels onto their seats on the sleeve. inner faces buckets c, arranged in concentric series, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4, each series of buckets being made to run in annular paths had between the chutes or radially out-side the chutes. The buckets are separated the one from the other, so as to leave vents or ports 6, and these are arranged in the reverse order to the vents c. The chutes and buckets do not come in contact with each other, the annular paths between the different series of chutes and the dilferentseries of buckets being considerably broader than the respective series of buckets and chutes operating therein, whereby portions of each annular path on either side of the respective bucket or chute series constitute annular \Vheels E have on their passage-ways for the flow and distribution of steam and consequent equalization of steampressure, whereby a jarring of the engine, incident to fluctuating discharges of steam, is avoided; but the faces of the chutes and buckets should come as near the opposing wheels and disks as is practicable and still leave working clearance, so that while these parts are relatively to each other frictionless, there is, practically, no waste steam past the faces of the buckets and chutes.

The engine is driven both by impact and the reaction of steam upon the buckets, and if some non-elastic substance-such, for instance, as waterwere introduced after impact and reaction upon the first series of buckets the water would give no further mefive power, but instead would obstruct and clog the engine. The steam, after it has operated upon the first series of buckets, ex-

pands, and by reason of such expansion gathers momentum for the next series of buckets, and so on through the successive series or ,until the expansive force of the steam has been substantially utilized. The series of chutes and buckets may, therefore," be extended indefinitely, according to circumstances and according to the initial pressure of steam employed.

Owing to the very slight clearance between the ends of the chutes and buckets and the opposing wheels and disks, it is necessary to hold shaft D endwise with great accuracy, and owing to the high speed of the engine ordinary collars used for such purpose are impracticable, as they cause too much friction and wear. In my previous patent aforesaid was shown and described mechanism constituting a steam-balance for holding the engine-shaft in position endwise, such mechanism comprising in the main a balanced disk mounted on the engine-shaft and extending into the steam-chamber between the two stationary disks, thus dividing the eduction of the steam-chamber. WVith such construction and in order to render the steam-balance su fficiently sensitive it was necessary to have small clearance or induction steam-spaces between the balance-disks and opposing stationary disks, and as such steam-spaces were limited in capacity to the circumference of the balance-disk the result was that the steam was wire-drawn. I have therefore devised improved mechanism, as follows: F is a ring square or rectangular in cross-section, this ring being mounted with a snug fit on shaft D between sleeves d d and between hubs E E. This ring has a screw-threaded periphery for engaging the internal screw-threads of a second and similar outer ring G, the latter extending into the steam-chamber between the opposing hubs O G of stationary disks 0 C. By reason of the screw-threaded engagement of the two rings by turning the outer ring on the inner ring the outer ring is adjusted in the direction lengthwise the shaft to a central position between hubs C C. Vith such adjustment the eduction steam-spaces i t" be tween ring G and the respective hubs O are of course equal, and these spaces are so slight that almost an infinitesimal change of the shaft endwise would cause a radical difference in the relative sizes of spaces M. So long as there is no disturbing cause and the engine-shaft and attachments consequently remain in their normal or central position spaces 01 2" would distribute the steam equally to the two parts of the engine, ample steamspace being provided between the inner peripheries of disks C and hubs O for the passage of steam, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3; but suppose from any cause theshaft were moved toward, forinstance, whatis the righthand side, as shown in Fig. 3. Such a movement would partially close the passage-way of port 1', and would consequently shut off a portion of steam to the right-hand side of the engine and would at the same. time farther separate disks O and wheels E at this side of the engine. The reduction of steam volume and the widening of the steam-space between disk and wheel would each tend to diminish the pressure endwise of the shaft.

hileanwhile, on the other side of the engine the reverse takes placethat is to say, steamspace 7," would enlarge, thereby giving greater volume of steam on this the left-hand side of the engine, and the disk and wheel on the left-hand side of the engine would approach each other, thereby decreasing the steam-space between the two, and consequently giving greater steam-pressure to act in the opposite direction endwise the shaft, all of which would tend to return the shaft to its central or normal position lengthwise the engin e. The only difliculty is that steam-spaces i' 11 are necessarily so smallas to wire-draw the steam. To remedy this difficulty without enlarging steam-spaces z' t", I provide as follows: I'lubs O C are provided with annular undercut grooves C whereby are constructed annular rims or flanges C on the inner faces of the hub, these flanges being provided with a series oflateral holes or steam-ports O arranged in order concentric with the shaft.

The faces of the hubs radially inside the periphery of flanges C are provided with annular grooves 0 0 arranged, as shown more clearly in Figs. 5 and 6, respectively, radially outside and inside of holes C and with grooves 0 located between the different holes C grooves a connecting with groove 0 and extending from thence in radial direction to the internal periphery of the hubs, this system of grooves leaving intact a margin 0 at or near the periphery of flange C and leaving margins 0 around each hole (3 The steam, having passed the marginal or flat surfaces on the faces of the hubs, has from thence free passage through the system of grooves. lloles C are alike in size and number in the two flanges, and hence do not disturb the steam-balance, while the aggregate capacity of these holes is several times that of openings i 2" at the periphery of flanges C and ring G, and this extra capacity of eduction from the steamchamber is effected without increasing the clearance between ring G and the opposing hubs, and consequently does not affect in the least the sensitiveness of the steam-balance.

For holding ring G in adjustment on ring F, I provide one or more radial holes G, screw-threaded (at least at the outer section thereof) for engaging set-screws g. At the bottom and crosswise of each hole G is placed a short section g of a screw-threaded rod, the screw-threads of which correspond and mesh with the screw-threads of ring F. By tightening the set-screw on member g, the outer ring is held from turning on the inner ring, and at the same time the screw-threads of the inner ring are not bruised or injured. Owing to the high speed aforesaid of the engine it is found very difficult, if not impossible, to always attain a perfect running balance, and hence shaft 'D is likely to tremble or vibrate, perhaps so slightly as to be hardly perceptible, and yet sufficient at such high speed to give trouble in case of rigid journal-boxes for this shaft. I have therefore provided journal-boxes that may vibrate and thereby accommodate themselves to any vibratory movement of the shaft, and this, too, without affecting the alignment of the shaft. Heads B are provided with long hubs B, these hubs being bored and counterbored, as shown at B and B with shoulders I) at the innerend of the counterbore. The hubs at the outer ends thereof are screw-threaded externally for engaging the internal screw-threads of caps b. Each hub internally is provided with a sleeve H, the latter having a lining 7b of suitable material fitting the shaft easily, the sleeve and lining constituting a journal-box for the engine-shaft, the two boxes, of course, being alike. Sleeve H, midway thereof, is provided with an external annular rib 71/, this rib fitting nicely, but easily, in the counterbore of the hub and abutting shoulder Z7. Between ribs h and cap I), and engaging both, is a spring b coiled around the sleeve, the tension of this spring holding rib 7L2 against shoulder l). The sleeve, except the bearing of rib h against the hub, has slight external clearance the entire length thereof, and hence may vibrate a trifle on its central external bearing, so as to accommodate any vibrations of the engine-shaft. A packing-ring 72/ prevents the exhaust-steam from entering the space between the hub and sleeve.

As shown in Fig. 3, sleeves cl (Z at their inner end sections for perhaps a quarter of their length, more or less, fit shaft D snugly, and from thence outward the shaft has a little clearance in these sleeves, by reason of which wheels E E and the shaft are not so inflexible relative to each other as they would otherwise be, and hence very slight vibrations of the shaft do not materially affect the running of these wheels. The two sleeves d d and ring F may, if preferred, and probably should, be integral.

What I claim is 1. In a rotary steam-engine, the combination, with stationary disks, with steam-chamber located between the disks and opposing rotating wheels located outside the disks, the wheels being mounted on the engine-shaft, substantially as indicated, of engine-shaft, inner and outer mutually-engaging rings, the inner ring being mounted 011 the engineshaft and the outer ring extending into and dividing the eduction of the steam-chamber, the outer ring being adjustable on the inner ring in the direction endwise of the shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a rotary engine of the variety indicated, having stationary.

disks and revolving disks, the latter being mounted on the engine-shaft and comprising inner and outer rings having a screw-threaded engagement with each other, of a screwthreaded radial hole in the outer ring, a screwthreaded member located at the bottom of such hole, the screw-threads thereof corresponding and meshing with the screw-threads of the inner ring, and a set-screw for tight ening such screw-threaded member against the screw-threaded periphery of the inner ring, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with a rotary engine of the variety indicated, having stationary disks and intervening rotating disks, the latter being mounted 011 the engine-shaft, and comprising, preferably, inner and outer mutually-engaging rings, the latter extending into the steam-chamber and leaving annular spaces or ports between the ring and stationary disks, of lateral holes or ports in open relation with the steam-chamber and discharging into the annular spaces between the ring and opposing disks, substantially as set forth.

4. In a rotary steam-engine of the variety indicated, the combination, with stationary disks and intervening rotating disk, with annular spaces or ports between the opposing faces of the disks, of a series of lateral holes or ports leading from the steam-chamber and discharging into such annular spaces or ports, substantially as set forth.

5. In a rotary steam-engine of the Variety indicated, the combination, with stationary disks inclosing the steam-chamber, intervening rotating disks, the latter extending into and dividing the eduction of the steam-cham- 6. The combination, with rotary engine and engine-shaft, of journal-box having a bearing at the center, substantially as indicated, and clearance on each side of the central bearing between it and the hub of the engine, whereby the end sections of the journal-box are adapted to vibrate in unison with any vibration of the engine-shaft, substantially as set forth.

7. In a rotary steam-engine of the variety indicated, in combination, engine shaft, sleeves mounted on the shaft, rotating wheels mounted on the sleeves, such sleeves having contact with the shaft only at their inner end sections substantially as shown, whereby the shaft may vibrate in the outer end sections of the sleeves without materially affecting the running of the wheels mounted on the sleeves, substantially as set forth.-

8. In a rotary steam-engine of the variety indicated, in combination with engine-shaft, a sleeve mounted on the shaft and engaging the latter only at the central section of the sleeve and rotating wheels mounted on the end or overhanging sections of such sleeve, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 27th day of December, 1889.

JOSEPH H. DOW. \Vitnesses:

HOWARD P. ELWELL, EDWARD E. GIsBURNE. 

